Weather and Traffic

Tropical Depression 12 forms; expected to be hurricane by Wednesday

Click on image for link to original. (Credit: National Hurricane Center)

Tropical Depression 12 formed Monday morning in the Eastern Atlantic and was expected to become Hurricane Katia by Wednesday or Thursday. This weekend, the storm was forecast to be east of the Northern Lesser Antilles as a Category 2 with 100 mph winds.

At the present time, the GFS forecast model shows this storm curving out to sea well before hitting land. The European hints that it could threaten the northeastern U.S. Obviously, this is far from a done deal and there are some computer models that want to keep the system on a more westerly track toward the Bahamas or the Caribbean.

Either way, I think we’ll be hearing a lot more about Katia as the week progresses.

Irene became a post-tropical low pressure system in Northern Maine on Monday and was headed for Canada. The National Hurricane Center issued its final advisory on the storm that dominated headlines over the past week.

Bloomberg published a comprehensive state-by-state wrap-up of the damage caused by Hurricane Irene. Bloomberg said insurance costs may have fallen to $3 billion comapred to an original estimate of $14 billion.

Damage was still being assessed on Monday, but the news was enough to lift stock futures in New York.

Two other tropical weather notes: Tropical Storm Jose was limping toward the hurricane graveyard in the North Atlantic. Forecasters predicted it would dissipate by Tuesday.

A robust system still on the African continent could get some attention once it exits into the Atlantic over the next day or two. This is the height of the Cape Verde season, so waves like this one will be watched closely.

Tropical Depression 12, on the left, is forecast to become a hurricane as early as Wednesday. The robust system still over Africa, right, will be watched once it enters the Atlantic.